Many Forms
by Legolas Dragon Ranger
Summary: A girl from Earth is pulled into Middle Earth and told she must save it. But along the way, the travel magic is interrupted, mutating her, leaving her with extraordinary powers. First fanfic, please read and don't flame!
1. Chapter 1- A Strange Beginning

**Many Forms**- chapter 1- A Strange Beginning

_LDR: Hey! So this is my first fanfic peoples. No flaming please. Constructive criticism is appreciated though. And this is rated M because I don't know how gory, bloody, or descriptive this is going to get. I just wanted to be safe. Anyway, please enjoy!_

Esmeralda ran through the woods, looking behind her to see if she was being followed. The bag she was carrying thumped against her legs as she dashed through the trees. She took a sharp turn and seemed to disappear into a large rock. Anyone following would have passed by it, not caring about the large crack that ran down the side of the boulder. This crack led to a sloping tunnel that the thief was now hurrying through. She tried not to think about the dark pressing in around her and instead concentrated on moving swiftly and silently. _God, this thing is way too long! _She thought, panting. _Especially for a claustrophobic person like me! _After what seemed like an eternity, she saw the green-tinted light that signaled the end of the passage. She crawled out of a hole partially covered by a luscious holly bush and entered a clearing. The evergreen trees surrounding the clearing were so thick that it would take a flamethrower to get through them. The only way in or out was the tunnel she had crawled through. The clearing itself was covered with bright green grass. There were large, flat, gray rocks scattered through, and a small pond with sparkling water at the opposite edge.

Esmeralda took a few moments to appreciate the beauty of her home and to thank the forest for sheltering her, before opening the sack she carried. "Let's see what I grabbed today." she said, dumping the contents of the bag onto the ground. There were two loaves of bread, an apple, a bag of beef jerky, and a bottle of water. "Hmm... not bad!" she chuckled, putting the stolen food with her cache of goods. She sat down a rock by the pond and sighed. Being a thief wasn't easy, but she decided it was better than living in an orphanage or begging on the streets. _Besides, the forest isn't so bad. Not after living here for ten years._ She had been abandoned at the age of eight. Esmeralda couldn't understand it. Until she had turned eight, her father had taken really good care of her. They went on many camping trips and played survival games in their big backyard. But then, the day after her birthday, he left and never came back. People from the local orphanage had come to take her, but she refused and ran into the woods, using her knowledge of nature to survive. She had kept moving from place to place, always sheltering in the trees, never staying put. Until she had found her clearing. It was the perfect place for someone like her to live.

A noise from behind her startled her out of her thoughts and she spun around, thinking someone had found her tunnel and came through it. The sound was indeed coming from the tunnel, but it wasn't the sound of footsteps. It sounded like music. Suddenly, the passage lit up like a light bulb.

"What?!" Esmeralda almost fell backward into the water before cautiously moving forward to investigate. She jumped into the tunnel and was immediately struck by a strong wind. She fought to keep her balance, wondering what the hell was going on. The air hummed around her, wind tore past her, her long black hair whipped around her face, and the tunnel walls seemed to expand and contract at the same time. Esmeralda screamed as the ceiling caved in, before being hit in the head with something and blacking out.

_LDR: Well, what do you think? Good? Then please review. Bad? Then stop reading. I won't make you keep going. Just remember, no flaming please._


	2. Chapter 2- The Voice of Life

**Many Forms**- chapter 2- The Voice of Life

_LDR: I'm back! I hope people are here to care, because that means you like this story. Anyway, I realized I forgot the disclaimer last chapter and don't wish to be sued, so: **I do not own Lord Of The Rings, JRR Tolkien does. I do, however own any OC's who make an appearance.**_

_Harelon: Like me?_

_LDR: Get out of here. The readers haven't met you yet._

_Harelon: Is this my chapter?_

_LDR: NO._

_Harelon: Then do I have to leave? I could stay and-_

_LDR: *points at virtual door* GO!_

When Esmeralda woke, she was floating in a large, black, empty void. "How did I get here?" she wondered out loud. "And where is here, anyway?" A sparkling golden light appeared, growing larger as it moved towards her, before enveloping her. She shut her eyes, momentarily blinded by the brilliance of the glow. When she opened them, the black void had been replaced by a shimmering golden tunnel that seemed to be made of solid light. A powerful gust of wind sped by, picking her up and carrying her through the tunnel. After being tossed around for a few minutes, she stretched her arms out to the side, laying flat on her stomach, and discovered this was the easiest way to let the Wind River (as she had named it) carry her. She looked around as she was swiftly pushed along, admiring the tunnel and the feeling of peace and contentment it brought. _Wherever here is, I think I like it._ Suddenly, the golden passage turned dark red, almost black, and a flash of searing pain ran through her. It felt like she was being pulled apart, atom by atom and she let out a scream of agony. Slowly, the golden light returned, and the pain passed. Esmeralda breathed a sigh of relief. _What the Hell was that?!_

_**That, child, was the dark lord, Sauron. **_The voice that replied was quiet, powerful, and comforting.

_Who are you?! Who is Sauron? And while I'm at it, where the heck am I? _Esmeralda hadn't expected anyone to answer her question.

_** You are currently being magically transported to the world of Middle Earth. Sauron is a terrible being threatening the peace of Middle Earth. I-**_

_ Hold on! World? Am I in space? Magic? Middle Earth? Wait! MAGIC?! Magic isn't real! You expect me to believe this?_

_** You are a curious human, aren't you? I will try to answer your questions. You are in space, though not the way you would expect. You are traveling inter-dimensionally on your way to another world. The world is called Middle Earth. The truth is that Earth is not the only world **__**in existence. Once, every human in your world knew **__**this**__**. But, over time, people stopped believing and the lore of other worlds faded. The most commonly know worlds were eventually made into works of fiction, like your books and movies. But these worlds DO exist. And if one is in danger of being unbalanced, a Hero from another world can be selected to travel to the endangered world and save it. You are the Hero from Earth. As of now, Middle Earth does not yet have a Hero, so **__**you**__** will have to work alone until I can find a suitable person from another world, **__**or from Middle Earth,**__** to come and help you.**_

_ I'm supposed to believe this? _But even as she thought/said this, Esmeralda remembered what had happened. _That... thing that affected the tunnel, the being you called Sauron, what exactly did he do?_

_** He was attempting to disrupt my transportation magic and kill you before you could reach Middle Earth. **_The tunnel started to fade, as did the voice. _**He almost succeeded. But you are still alive and nearing your destination. You will be safe when you arrive. I must leave though.**_

_ Wait! I have more questions! Who are you? What am I supposed to do when I get to Middle Earth? "Save the world" isn't all that specific after all._

_** I am the Voice Of Life. Do not worry, you will find a way to-**_

The Voice faded before it could finish speaking and Esmeralda found herself in a clearing surrounded by deciduous trees as the golden tunnel faded as well.

–-

_LDR: Well? She's finally made it to Middle Earth! Next chapter, she will find out that Sauron did more damage than the Voice Of Life thought. Oh yeah, forgot to mention this in the disclaimer. I got the Voice Of Life idea from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity which I do NOT own. That's all for now. And flames will used to roast marshmallows because I am really craving __S'__mores __right now. See ya!_


	3. Chapter 3- The Damage Shows

**Many Forms**- chapter 3

_Disclaimer- **I do not own LOTR. JRR Tolkien does. I do, however, own-**_

_Haerelon: Me!_

_Me: Hey, this is your chapter! Get to your spot!_

_Haerelon: It is? Oh goody! *runs off*_

_Me: *shouts at him* And be mature about it! Now, where was I? Oh yeah._

_Disclaimer (cont.)- **I do, however, own my OCs: Esmeralda, Haerelon, and anyone else who comes along.**_

_Reply to reviews_

_ Iismetoo- Yes, I suppose it is my love of reading that inspired me to write. Also, I read your profile and you DO need to learn something about Pokemon._

Esmeralda looked around her, wondering where exactly she was. _This looks an awful lot like Earth._ she thought. _I wonder if the wildlife is the same. Gosh, I hope there aren't any panthers or the like here._ As she was thinking, she started to feel odd, as if someone were pouring water over her that was both freezing and scalding at the same time. _Well, that was weird! _She thought, and suddenly found herself unable to balance. She threw out a hand to catch herself as she fell, but instead saw a black, fur covered paw with sharp, gleaming silver claws reaching out. She jerked back, thinking a wild animal was about to mangle her and the paw moved with her. _Ok, I'm scared now. Some creature with silver claws- not from Earth, I can tell from the fact that the claws are silver- is probably about to maul me. _She lifted her hands to shield her face and another paw came into view. Both paws reached for her head. _Oh God, I'm dead now! I never liked my life anyway! I'm ready for this... I think. Oh, what the Hell, I DON'T WANT TO DIE! _She shut her eyes, ready to feel the claws slash her face. But nothing came, and Esmeralda opened her eyes. _What? I'm still alive? _Even stranger, the paws were in the same exact spot. She lifted her hands, and paws moved with them. With a start, she realized that she couldn't feel her fingers. It was as if they vanished. She curled her hands into fists, but was unable to move her hands the right way. As she moved her hands around, the paws moved also.

Realizing what was going on, Esmeralda started to panic. "AHHH!" she yelled, but it came out as a roar. "I've been turned into... something!" She staggered, whipping her tail around to keep her balance. _Hold up! A tail? _Esmeralda glanced back down at her hands. _No, paws. s_he corrected herself. She looked back to see a sleek black tail connected to a lithe, fur-covered body. _I'm a panther! _She realized. _But panthers don't have claws made of silver. Ah, screw that. How do I become human again? I want to be human! _With that thought, the hot/cold water feeling returned and Esmeralda found herself able to stand up again. Her hands were back to normal and her tail had disappeared. She felt her face, relived to find that it felt human. "I- I can shape-shift! But how?" She remembered what had happened in the Wind River. _Perhaps I did not escape from Sauron as unscathed as the Voice thought. That son of a bitch mutated me!_ A branch broke in the trees near her. She turned to look, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who's there?" A slim, dark-haired figure stepped out from behind a tree. "Who are you?" Esmeralda demanded. The man smiled.

"I saw you change yourself into a great cat. Are you a Changeling?" he replied. His voice was soft and melodic. Esmeralda looked at him. He was dressed in a dark green tunic with lighter green pants. He had a brown cloak on and carried a bow in his hand, a quiver of arrows on his back, and a leaf-shaped sword at his waist. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, his hair the same color. His ears, she noticed, were pointed. _All in all, he's kind of cute. s_he thought. _Wait, did I really just think that? _

"I'm not answering any questions until I know who you are and where I am." The man bowed to her.

"I am called Haerelon. You are in the woods surrounding the elvish city of Rivendell." he answered.

"My name is Esmeralda. You called me a Changeling. Is that like a shape-shifter?"

"That is what the humans call them. You seem confused, Esmeralda. Are you lost."

"No. But I do need a place to stay. My, uh, village was... burned down by... bandits." She winced inwardly, thinking Haerelon wouldn't buy it, as she hadn't sounded all that convincing. But he smiled at her and said,

"If that is all you need, I can offer you a place in Rivendell. Lord Elrond will surely allow you stay if he knows you are a Changeling."

She thought about his offer for a few seconds. _Hmm... I did say I needed a place to stay. And it's true. But can I trust him? Ah, what the heck. I'm tired and hungry. I guess I'll trust the cute elf. _She mentally kicked herself at her last thought. _Do not get attached to someone you just met! _Esmeralda nodded at Haerelon to show that she accepted his offer. He smiled and whistled. A white horse with a stormy gray mane and tail trotted into the clearing.

"Oh! Your horse is beautiful!" Esmeralda gasped.

_Thank you. _a voice replied in her head, at exactly the same time the horse let out a grateful sounding whinny. Esmeralda stepped toward the horse, reaching out a hand to stroke it. Feeling rather foolish, she murmured, "Did you say that?" to the creature. The horse turned its head to look at her.

_You can understand me? _Esmeralda nodded slightly before being unexpectedly lifted onto the equestrienne's back by Haerelon, who had already mounted.

"Moonshine likes you." he commented.

"Is that her name?"

"Yes, in the human tongue."

Haerelon nudged Moonshine with his knees and said something to her in another language, presumably Elvish. Moonshine tossed her, let out an answering neigh and started off into the trees.

-_LDR- Esmeralda is off to see the Elves. Also, would you readers think of a Frozen/Pokemon crossover? It would tell the story of Frozen, but with Pokemon. Would you read it? I hope because I'm making it anyway. Also, I plan to make my Esmeralda stories a series. I think that's all._

_Haerelon- *Stomps into room* Was I "mature" enough?_

_LDR- Yes, now be that way for the rest of the story._

_Haerelon- If I do, will you set me up with Esmeralda?_

_LDR- We'll see. *turns back to readers* I almost forgot. Please review. And since I recently discovered Avatar: The Last Airbender, any flames will either be put out by Katara and her Waterbending, or sent right back at you by Zuko with his Firebending. See ya!_


	4. Chapter 4- Entering Rivendell

**Many Forms- **chapter 4

_LDR- Not much going on at the beginning of this chapter. Haerelon is off getting ready and Esmeralda is with him. So I'll just do the disclaimer. **I do not own Lord Of The Rings. I only own my ideas and characters.** Hmm... It was nice to do this without being interrupted. Well, on with the story!_

- Esmeralda yawned as Moonshine cantered through the forest. She had told Haerelon about being able to understand Moonshine and he had told her how Changelings were held in high regards by the Elves because of their bond with animals. Now they rode in silence. She wanted nothing more than to lean against him and fall asleep. She was working up the courage to do just that when a horse neighed somewhere close by. The Changeling was able to catch a few words in her mind before Moonshine's voice overtook the other horse's greeting with one of her own. Esmeralda turned to Haerelon, confused. He, however, seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"That must the Elves from Mirkwood here for the council." he said, and nudged Moonshine with his knee, causing her to speed up. Ahead, Esmeralda saw three fair-haired Elves. The one in front turned to look as Moonshine galloped out of the trees. Haerelon shouted a greeting in what was presumably Elvish. The blond elf who had turned to look replied in kind.

"Can you talk in a language I can understand?" Esmeralda asked, suddenly annoyed.

"As you wish. My apologies, Lady Esmeralda." Haerelon replied. Esmeralda liked her new title. The lead elf looked at her curiously.

"Who might this be?" he inquired.

"This is Esmeralda. She is a Changeling." Haerelon replied. The other elf's eyes widened slightly.

"Lady Esmeralda. It is an honor to meet you. I am Prince Legolas of Mirkwood." Esmeralda studied Legolas. _He's also kinda cute._ she thought. _Great. I am in love with two different, adorable Elves from another world! I'm not sure __whether __I hate my life, or love it. _

"Hello." was all she said. The two Elves turned back to each other, Legolas's escort joining their conversation. They were talking about a ring and some meeting. Esmeralda was bored. _Four __medieval-looking__ guys __from another world__ are standing around in the woods, with horses, talking about jewelry. Could this get any weirder?_ The group moved on towards Rivendell as the four Elves continued talking, switching over to their language. Esmeralda fell asleep before they reached the city, leaning against Haerelon as she had wanted to do earlier.

*********************************************************************************** When Esmeralda woke, she saw a brilliant city. The group had arrived at Rivendell. She looked around her in awe as they passed through the gates of Rivendell. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "This place is so beautiful!"

"Indeed it is." Haerelon replied. Esmeralda continued to take in the sights as they rode through the Elvish city.

After the horses were stabled, the three Mirkwood Elves went off and Haerelon took Esmeralda to see Elrond.

"As I said before," Haerelon told her, "I'm quite sure Lord Elrond will give you a home in Rivendell once he hears you're a Changeling." Esmeralda just nodded and yawned, still tired from her trip between worlds.

*********************************************************************************** Lord Elrond listened to Haerelon's report. He barely showed surprise upon hearing that Esmeralda was a Changeling. _Either he hides emotions well, or he knew I was coming. _Esmeralda thought, studying him.

"You are welcome to stay here, Lady Esmeralda. There will be a council in two days to discuss what to do with the One Ring. As a Changeling, you are welcome to attend. Until then, you may occupy yourself in whatever way you wish. Haerelon, escort the lady to one of the spare rooms." Haerelon bowed and led Esmeralda away.

*********************************************************************************** When Esmeralda got to her rooms, the first thing she did was get clean. After that, she picked up the dirty, oversized clothes that she had worn on Earth. _I don't really want to put these back on._ She opened the wardrobe, hoping there were clothes in there. She was not disappointed. The wardrobe was full of dresses, tunics, leggings, cloaks, and the like. Selecting a dark blue tunic and a pair of pine needle green leggings, she put them on. After pulling on a pair of soft leather boots, she decided her old clothes would be burned and picked them up to dispose of them.

*********************************************************************************** After taking care of her old clothes, Esmeralda removed her boots and laid down on her bed. _God, this feels nice!_ she thought, and fell asleep. When she woke, the moon had risen and she was ravenous. _Damn! I missed dinner. I guess I'll have to steal something. Though I really don't want to. These Elves have been so kind to me. _Esmeralda decided to find the kitchens and see if anyone was there. If so, she would ask for food. If not, she would take some. As she stepped out of her rooms, an elf maiden standing by the door looked at her.

"Do you need something, Lady Esmeralda?" she asked.

"You know, I'm really hungry. Where are the kitchens?"

"The Elves not on duty are currently eating dinner. Do you not wish to join them?

"Oh, dinner isn't over? When I saw that night had come, I thought I had missed it. Ok then, can you lead me to wherever everyone else is eating?"

"Of course." The elf led Esmeralda through so many hallways, she was sure that she would never remember the way back. They stopped at a large room filled with Elves. But not just Elves. Esmeralda also noticed humans, as well as short men with large beards.

"Uh... There's a lot of people here."

The elf looked at her. "Of course there are. The council is in two days, so Rivendell is currently home to some humans and, unfortunately, Dwarves." she told the nervous looking Changeling. Esmeralda took a few steps back.

"I think I'll eat in a place with less people around." She turned around and was about to leave when someone called her name. Facing the crowded dining hall once more, she saw Haerelon beckoning her. She timidly made her way over to him. "Hi Haerelon." He looked at her.

"Are you alright? You seem uncomfortable."

"It's just that... there's a lot of people around. And I'm kinda claustrophobic."

Haerelon laughed. "Is that all? Don't worry My Lady. You will be fine." He frowned. "Though I would stay away from the Dwarves." Esmeralda sat down next to him.

"What's wrong with the Dwarves?"

"Everything." he grunted. An Elf sitting on the other side of Haerelon leaned over and elbowed him jokingly.

"Hey Haerelon. What are you doing with this human girl?" He looked her over and wolf-whistled. "She's a pretty one, huh?" he commented, then grinned. Haerelon blushed.

"Come on Cunor. I'm not... involved... with her. In any way. This is the Changeling, Lady Esmeralda." Cunor looked at Esmeralda more closely.

"The Changeling? It is an honor to meet you, Lady Esmeralda. I am Cunor, Haerelon's elder brother."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes and smiled. "So far, everyone I've met has told me that they were 'honored to meet me'. Don't Elves have any creativity?" Haerelon and Cunor laughed, nearby Elves who had heard joining in. As the night wore on, Esmeralda became more comfortable with the Elves. Once she left the dining hall and, somehow, found her way back to her chambers, she collapsed on her bad and fell asleep.

-_LDR- That was the longest chapter yet! I tried hard with Legolas's personality. I've only seen the movies, not read the books (yet) and I'm not ashamed to admit that I usually pay more attention to how Legolas looks rather than how he acts. He's so cute! Anyway, in the next chapter, two more familiar characters should appear. Please read! See ya!_


	5. Chapter 5- The Wizard and the Ranger

**Many Forms-** chapter 5

_LDR- Well, another boring intro from me. I almost wish Haerelon would show up and interrupt me, but he's off trying to get Esmeralda to go out with him. I think later in the story, he'll drop his 'mature guy' act. Do you, as the readers, want him to stay as he is now, or become more playful and childish like he is when he interrupts my intros? It's up to-_

_Haerelon- Did ya miss me?_

_LDR- Stop interrupting my intros!_

_Haerelon- But I have news! Esmeralda-_

_LDR- Tell me later. You're not in this chapter so please go away._

_Haerelon- Fine_

_LDR- As I was saying, it's up to-_

_Esmeralda- Have you seen Haerelon?_

_LDR- *points toward exit door while looking annoyed* _

_Esmeralda- Thanks! *runs off*_

_LDR- Before I get interrupted again, I was saying that the choice is yours! Well, enjoy-_

_Haerelon & Esmeralda- enjoy chapter 5! *run off *_

_LDR- *shouts while chasing Esmeralda and Haerelon* **I don't own Lord of the Rings and I never will!**_

_Esmeralda- But she does own-_

_Haerelon- her own characters!_

_-_ Esmeralda spent the next day getting to know the Elves even more and practicing her shape-shifting. The day was rather uneventful until a few hours after lunch, when she was approached by an elderly man wearing a gray cloak with a pointed gray hat, holding a staff.

"Might you be Esmeralda, the Changeling?" he inquired.

"I might be. Who's asking?" she answered cautiously, but not disrespectfully.

"I am Gandalf the Gray and I am a wizard of this world."

Esmeralda snorted. "Well, that explain your ridiculous pointed hat. Why are you here? If you're looking for amusement from my shape-shifting, forget it."

"It seems that you do not trust easily my dear. But that does not matter. I am here to speak with you about your role in this world as a Hero."

"Well, living a life like mine leaves little room for trust. And- hold on! How do you know I'm a Hero?"

"I was told by an old, and very powerful friend. I think you've met it. The Voice of Life. It requested that I assist you in your mission." Gandalf smiled at her. "Luckily for you, before you got here, I told Lord Elrond of this and convinced him to allow you to attend the council tomorrow. Though it seems I did not need to, as you are a Changeling."

"Made, not born. Sauron somehow knew I was coming and tried to interrupt the Voice's travel magic and kill me. As you can see, he failed, but the interruption somehow mutated me, giving me my shape-shifting powers." This left the old wizard looking startled and a little fearful.

"He knows that you are here? Esmeralda, that is not good."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." she muttered.

"Sauron will do everything in his power to kill you. You must attend the council tomorrow and, when it is agreed that the Ring must be destroyed, I think it would be best for you to join the quest." he continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"I'll keep that in mind. If I'm going off on a dangerous mission, then I should really keep practicing my shape-shifting. Please excuse me." she said and hurried off to her rooms where she could MIP-morph in peace.

*********************************************************************************** The day dawned, Esmeralda rising with the sun. She grabbed a quick bite of breakfast then decided to spend the morning exploring Rivendell. "I should have done this when I first got here." she muttered to herself, slipping into a room that seemed to be a museum of sorts. Seeing a statue in the middle, holding something out flat in its hands, she approached. "What's this?" she murmured, spotting a broken sword in the statue's hands.

"Those are the shards of Narsil, the sword used by Isildur to defeat Lord Sauron over two thousand years ago." _**(A/N-I hope I got the time span right. I used Wikipedia, which isn't always accurate. Enough said.)**_ came a voice from behind her. She jumped with fright, transforming into a panther out of pure shock. She spun around to see a man looking at her with a surprised expression on his face. She shifted back to her human form, saying,

"I'm sorry. You startled me and I reacted. Who are you?" The man looked at her more closely.

"You must be the Changeling I've been told about. I apologize for startling you, My Lady. I am Strider." Esmeralda started toward the doorway.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Strider. I think I'm gonna go though. See ya.

-_LDR- Ok, next chapter is the Council of Elrond. I hope I'm doing good with keeping everyone in character. It's hard for me. Anyway, I got so tired of having Haerelon interrupt my intros, I decided to let him do every other one, starting next chapter. That's it for now, Please review, but no flaming. See ya!_


	6. Chapter 6- A Secret Revealed

**Many Forms-** chapter 6

_Haerelon- I'm doing the intro today! It's not as fun when I can't interrupt LDR though._

_LDR- *shouting from another room* I heard that! Keep in mind I can interrupt YOU!_

_Haerelon- Anyway, LDR told me that half the people following this haven't left a review. That is actually pretty discouraging for her. If people don't start reviewing, LDR will abandon this story out of dejection. Please review so we can get to the part where-_

_LDR- NO SPOILERS!_

_Haerelon- Fine. Just please review. __Also, LDR is very sorry she hasn't updated in a while. She gave a list of reasons, but it's too long, so the main reason is __vacation__.__**And LDR doesn't own Lord of the Rings. But she does own her characters and any plot twists that she makes up.**__ Now enjoy chapter 6!_

The council started a few hours after midday. **(A/N- I apologize in advance if I get anything wrong. It's been a while since I saw the movies.) **Esmeralda sat in a chair next to Gandalf, the elderly wizard she had met yesterday. On his other side sat a young boy. Esmeralda was confused by this until she remembered Haerelon and Cunor telling her about Hobbits: peaceful people from a place called the Shire that, when fully grown, were the size of a child. _He must be a Hobbit. I think Haerelon said that one of them had the Ring. I still don't get what the deal with that thing is. _

Esmeralda was snapped out of her musings by Lord Elrond saying "Welcome, friends from distant lands and other worlds." The last part confused most of the people attending the council, save two. Gandalf leaned back in his chair and Esmeralda tried to make herself invisible while thinking, _Really?! He _HAD _to say that?! _Elrond continued once everyone had quieted down. "You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem." Esmeralda zoned out as Elrond continued his speech, welcoming the many people, telling why they had come, and giving the history of the One Ring. She was once again pulled from her thoughts by Elrond speaking. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The Hobbit sitting on the other side of Gandalf placed a simple, golden ring on the pedestal in the middle of the room. The Ring shone in the light, and seemed to whisper in Esmeralda's mind. Trying hard to block it out, Esmeralda attempted to listen to what was going on around her, but failed. The whispering increased and she focused all her efforts on forcing the Ring out of her mind. Esmeralda was dimly aware of a discussion between Strider, Legolas, and another man.

Without warning, the Ring withdrew from her mind and she caught the words "Gondor has no king, Gondor needs no king." as the unknown man sat down. Esmeralda instantly sensed a jerk. Bored with the events, she once more zoned out and was once more interrupted, this time by everyone arguing violently over who would take the Ring to be destroyed.

Frodo stood up and said "I will take it." but he was ignored. Esmeralda hated when people didn't pay attention to her, so she decided to help the poor Hobbit out. She transformed into a black-furred, silver-clawed wolf with some difficulty, as this was her first time as a wolf, and let out a long, loud howl. Everyone shut up and looked at her as she shifted back.

"I believe Frodo was trying to say something." she said. Most of the Men and Dwarves muttered amongst themselves fearfully as Frodo repeated his statement. Esmeralda heard people whispering about her. The insults didn't bother her, but she still didn't like them. She looked over at Frodo to see that he had been joined by Gandalf, Strider, Legolas, the man who had been arguing with the previous two, and a Dwarf.

Esmeralda stepped forward and said "I would like to come. I may not have much experience, but I'm sure my shape-shifting will be useful. I will assist you in whatever way I can."

The man whose name she did not know muttered "I do not wish to travel with a witch."

Esmeralda glared at him. "Suck it up whiny boy. Besides, I'm not a witch. I'm the savior of your world, so show some respect." He just looked at her as she were crazy. _Oops. I probably shouldn't have said that. _She looked at Gandalf and Elrond, the only two people there who knew of her role. Elrond was standing with his eyes closed. _Probably in exasperation._ Gandalf looked at her in a way that said _"Tell them if you wish, but do not hold me responsible for the outcome."_

Esmeralda took a deep breath. _Here goes._ "Um... The thing is, I'm not really... uh... from Middle Earth..." Everyone started questioning her or talking with the people on either side of them. Those she had already met, save Gandalf and Elrond, in other words, Legolas and Strider looked at her, shocked and disbelieving. "Please shut up, I'm not finished! Yes, you heard me correctly, I am from another world. It's called Earth, and," she added proudly, "it's much more advanced than this world. I got here by magical means, which I still have a hard time believing, by the way, and along the trip I gained my shape-shifting powers." At this, Legolas and the other Elves at the meeting, except Elrond, drew back.

"You deceived us. You are not a real Changeling!" one of them shouted. The others soon joined in, Legolas included.

_ Damn,_ Esmeralda thought. _Now a bunch of Elves are angry with me. I so hate my life right now._ **(A/N- Face it, angry Elves are scary and dangerous)** "I'm sorry." she said desperately, trying to calm them down. "I was warned against telling anyone about this. I didn't want to trick you." _Ok, I wasn't really warned against it, but keeping it secret was kinda obvious. _"I was brought here by a friend of Gandalf's, to help destroy the Ring." _Again, not entirely true, I was technically brought here to destroy Sauron, but the Ring seems to be the key to doing so._ "Just please let me help so I-"

"Let you help?" the unknown man who had called her a witch interrupted her. "You lied about who you were. You deceived the Elves about something they think is special, even if it actually isn't." The last part brought glares from every single Elf at the meeting. Gandalf stepped forward.

"That is quite enough I think, Boromir. Esmeralda is a delightful young lady who has selflessly left, not only her family and friends, but her whole world to come here and help. She will not be able to return until Sauron is defeated. Destroying the Ring will destroy Sauron. It is my opinion that those going should decide whether or not she comes. And I say yes." Esmeralda could have hugged the old wizard.

Strider stepped forward, a thoughtful look on his face."Gandalf has been my friend for many a year. I trust his judgment. I say yes."

Boromir did not need to think about his answer at all. "I say no."

Next was Legolas. He, like Strider was clearly pondering about his decision. "I agree with Aragorn and Gandalf." he said finally. Esmeralda wanted to hug him as well, though not only because he had voted she come. _Aragorn? Does he mean Strider?_

Frodo made his decision without thought, as Boromir had. "Esmeralda has already helped me. I would give her the chance to do it again. I say yes." _Yes! Go Hobbits!_

Finally, the Dwarf spoke up. "My choice will not make a difference, but I vote no." _Gah, stupid Dwarf. I guess the Elves are right about you._

Elrond stepped forward. "It has been decided. Esmeralda will travel on the quest to destroy the Ring." Esmeralda joined the group, being careful to stay near the ones who had voted "yes" and to avoid those that said "no". Elrond continued. You shall go to Mount Doom, to cast the Ring into the volcano."

A Hobbit ran out of the bushes shouting "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!"

"It would seem so. Even when he is invited to a secret council and you are not." Elrond responded, looking somewhat surprised. He was even more surprised when two more Hobbits dashed out from behind a pillar to join the group.

"We're coming too!" one of them shouted.

"Yeah, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing." the other added. The first Hobbit of the two "hide-behind-the-pillars-to-spy-on-the-meeting" Hobbits leaned over to the other and muttered "Well that rules you out Pippin."

Elrond looked at the group of ten. "Very well. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

Pippin spoke up again. "Great. So where are we going?"

-_LDR- Well, that's the end of chapter 6. As for those of who are wondering where Haerelon went, I only told him he could do every other intro. Anyway, I am very sorry for not updating sooner. First I was busy, then I couldn't log onto the computer for some reason, then I went to South Carolina to visit family and I only just got back late last night, and the list goes on. But anyway, this is the longest chapter so far, so I hope that makes up for the wait. And for those of you have favorited and/or __followed, but not reviewed, please do so. Without proper encouragement (a.k.a. reviews) I cannot continue because I will be dejected. Or I will forget about it. So please review!_


	7. Chapter 7- The Jouney Begins

**Many Forms-** chapter 7- The Journey Begins

_LDR- Well, it's my turn for the intro now. First I would like to thank the following people for following this story: Angie-ange, BlackHreat, Cameja333, Girl of Twilight Wings, HardyxLover, Legolas's Fried Potato, Sangrea, alexma, and inukag94. Also, I would like to thank the following people for favoriting this story: __BlackHreat__, HardyxLover, Iismetoo, alexma, and inukag94. And, thank you to: SuperMastour, Iismetoo, and Frostwings for leaving a review. And finally, special thanks to alexma for bringing it to my attention that there was previously nothing posted. As you can see, I fixed the problem (with some help from SuperMastour, who informed me of a free writing __thing. Thanks S.M.!) which was the fact that the site I used to write the chapter wasn't compatible with or something like that. Note to all authors who need a writing site: don't use Notepad, it doesn't work. Also, I noticed I made many typos and mistakes in the previous chapters. I will fix them ASAP. Now, on to the disclaimer. __**I don't own LOTR, J.R.R. Tolkien does. But I do own my OC's so please ask if you want to use them in a story.**__ I am usually very agreeable when it comes to people using my OC's in their stories, so don't be afraid to ask if you want to use any of them. __One more thing: I have changed the rating to T, and will try to keep the contents that way, but this is my first fanfic, so I might make a mistake or two that would result in this story needing an M rating. I want to keep it at T, so if it starts to get too much, please leave me a review saying so, so that I can tone it down. __Enjoy chapter 7!_

_- _Esmeralda rose with the sun again, going to her wardrobe and selecting comfortable traveling clothes. She decided on a brown tunic, dark green leggings, a pair of sturdy black traveling boots, and the same brown cloak worn on the first day she arrived. After setting the outfit aside, she went to bathe, guessing that there probably wouldn't be many opportunities to get clean while she was traveling with the Fellowship.

- Esmeralda met up with the rest of the Fellowship at the gates of Rivendell. Legolas gave her a small smile, which she took to mean that he wasn't angry with her for lying about who she was. She heard someone shout her name, and turned to see Haerelon, Cunor, and some of the other Elves she had befriended during her stay in Rivendell. They, luckily, weren't upset with her for lying either. Haerelon stepped forward.

"Come back to us alive, Lady Esmeralda." He hugged her, and whispered in her ear "Come back to me alive."

Esmeralda blushed. _Does he know how I feel about him? Does he feel the same way?_

"I'll try." she whispered back. When she let go, she noticed Legolas standing off to the side, frowning at her. _Uh-oh. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he IS still upset with me._ But she watched, as his gaze followed Haerelon, instead of lingering on her. She looked back and forth between the two Elves, remembering what Haerelon had whispered to her, connecting it to Legolas's frown, and she gasped. _Oh darn. Could they really BOTH like me?! Is THAT what this is about?_ She resolved to have a talk with the Elven prince later, and to ask Haerelon now. She turned back to her Elvish friends from Rivendell, only to find that Cunor was coming to say good bye now, and Haerelon was at the back of the group, glaring in Legolas's general direction every few seconds. _Well, that answers that question. s_he thought. After saying farewell to the rest of the group that had come to see her off, she rejoined the Fellowship, casting a glance at Legolas. He returned to look and she inclined her head towards Haerelon, raising an eyebrow, asking a silent question. He just shook his head.

She looked back at Haerelon, Cunor, and her other friends, friends that weren't part of the Fellowship that it, looking at each one in turn. First at Haerelon, then Cunor, then a beautiful elf maiden she had befriended named Gilrin, back at Haerelon, continuing through the group to another elf maiden known as Erilil, who had her eye on an elf warrior known as Dimaethor, another member of the group, to Haerelon, to Glaer and Cellin who were talented musicians and happened to be brother and sister, once again to Haerelon, and finally to Amlugon, a male elf with a temper. Then one last look at Haerelon. She noticed one more elf at the back of the group. Another elf maiden she had met yesterday, just after the council. She wasn't officially part of the group of Esmeralda's Elf friends, but Esmeralda liked to think of her as a friend. Her name was Arwen and she was Elrond's daughter as well as Strider's lover. Arwen had been kind enough to clear up her confusion about Legolas calling Strider "Aragorn". Apparently, Strider was the name he used as a Dunedain Ranger, while Aragorn was his real name. Aragorn was the descendant of Isildur and was supposed to be the king of a big city called Gondor. But that wasn't the life he wanted and Esmeralda didn't blame him. From then on, she had resolved to call him Aragorn though.

As the Fellowship started walking away, Esmeralda glanced back one more time at Haerelon, smiling at him, and waving to her group of friends. The Fellowship rounded a bend and the gates of Rivendell were hidden, along with those who had been there to say bye to the Fellowship. She dropped back to walk by Legolas. _Should I ask him now? Or should I wait? Maybe I should wait for a little. _She instead decided to question him about something else.

"Hey Legolas."

"Hello Esmeralda."

"Um...Can I ask you something?"

"It appears you already have."

"Right. Well, I just want to make sure I know everyone's names. Could you help me with that?"

"Of course. Who do you already know."

"Well, I know that's Gandalf, and you're Legolas, and that's Aragorn, though I met him as Strider, and there's Boromir and Frodo, and I think that's Pippin." she said, pointing to each person as she said their name.

"You are correct for all but one. The one you called Pippin was Merry. That one over there is Pippin." he told her, pointing.

"Ok, so the third Hobbit is Merry. What about the fourth Hobbit? And the Dwarf?"

"The fourth Hobbit is Samwise, though he would prefer to be known as Sam. The Dwarf is Gimli."

"Ok, thanks." They walked in silence for a little while before Esmeralda asked him the question she had been meaning to ask earlier. "Could I ask you something else."

"Yes."

"Umm... Well I saw the way you looked at Haerelon when he hugged me and whispered in my ear. You didn't look that way at any of the other Elves who hugged me. Then Haerelon kept glaring at you, and you replied in kind..." Here, Legolas took a deep breath as Esmeralda continued. "So, I was wondering. Does he like me and do you like me and are you fighting over me?" This last sentence she said very quickly, as Legolas was beginning to make her nervous. He stopped walking and looked at her. _Uh-oh,_ she gulped. _Did I say something wrong? __Is this private? _

"You are very observant." Legolas said. "And very good at making guesses. The answer is yes, both Haerelon and I feel strongly for you."

"Oh," she said in a tiny voice. "uh..."

Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder. "To let you know, neither of us feels this way because you are a Changeling. You are not, and this feeling did not start, at least for me, until after you revealed who you truly were. It took much courage to stand up and admit to things like that. I... admire that..." She smiled and blushed, feeling like a fool for doing so. _You're not some school girl with a crush. _She reminded herself.

At that moment, Aragorn appeared next to them, asking "Is everything alright?" Legolas quickly took his hand off her shoulder and Esmeralda tried to look anywhere but at him or Aragorn.

"Umm... uh... umm..." she muttered, noticing that the rest of the Fellowship were a good distance away from them, realizing that that was why Aragorn must have dropped back.

"Everything is fine." Legolas said calmly. "Esmeralda was just asking me some questions about our traveling companions."

Aragorn just raised a disbelieving eyebrow as if saying, _"Really?" _and rejoined the rest of the Fellowship, Esmeralda and Legolas following.

- Later Esmeralda found herself waking next to Sam. They chatted for a little, Merry and Pippin joining in soon, and she found herself liking all three cheerful Hobbits right away. The Hobbits told her about their home, the Shire, and she told them about her home. She described her clearing in the woods and her life as a thief. When Pippin asked about her parents, she didn't know what to say. Her dad had said that her mother had died giving birth to her, and then her father had left a few years after.

"I never knew my mother." she told the Hobbits. "But Dad always said that she was beautiful and kind and that I looked a lot like her. The only thing I have to remember her by is a song that my father said she loved." Her eyes started to water and she felt a sudden urge to sing the song as she had always done when she thought about her mother. She didn't realize she was singing it until she heard the first verse.

_"This glancing life is like __a morning star. _

_ A setting sun or rolling waves at sea._

_A gentle breeze or lightning in a storm._

_A dancing dream of all eternity."_

Esmeralda hadn't sung this song for a long time, but as she sang, the words came back to her.

"_The sand was shimmering in the morning light._

_And dancing off the dunes so far away._

_The night held music so sweet, so long._

_And there we lay until the break of day._

_ We woke that morning at the onward call._

_Our camels bridled up up, our howdahs full._

_The sun was rising in the eastern sky._

_Just as we set out to the desert's cry._

_Calling, yearning, pulling, home to you._

_The tents grew smaller as we rode away._

_On earth that tells of many passing days._

_The months of peace and all the years of war._

_The lives of love and all the lives of fears._

_Calling, yearning, pulling, home to you_

_We crossed the riverbeds all etched in stone._

_And up the mighty mountains ever known._

_Beyond the valleys in the searing heat._

_Until we reached the caravanserai._

_Calling, yearning, pulling, home to you._

_What is this life that pulls me far away._

_What is that home where we cannot reside._

_What is that quest that pulls me onward._

_My heart is full when you are by my side._

_Calling, yearning, pulling, home to you."_

There was silence among the group as the last word faded. Esmeralda looked around and blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry." she said, "I sing it whenever I think about my mother. I didn't realize I was singing it out-loud until after the first line."

Legolas came up to her. "You have a beautiful singing voice." he told her. She blushed harder.

"Thanks." she mumbled. "I must have inherited it from my mom, because Dad has- _had_ a really bad singing voice."

"Where is your father?" Pippin asked.

"Gone. I don't know where he is, or if he's even alive. He abandoned me about ten years ago. When it first happened, I thought he'd come find me, and life would be normal again, but years passed and he never showed up, never gave any hint that he was looking for me. I'd often pass through towns when I traveled, and they were near where I grew up, but I never heard reports of a father looking for his missing child. Finally, when I turned sixteen, I stopped caring, stopped searching, and settled down in the clearing I found." She had tears in her eyes by this point and dropped back from the rest of the group a little. "I think I'll just walk on my own for now. I need some time to myself."

The other members of the Fellowship either nodded, gave her pitying looks, or, in Boromir's case, scoffed and ignored her completely.

–- Esmeralda walked at the back of the group for the rest of they day. When the Fellow ship stopped to make camp, she transformed into a panther- which was her favorite form so far- and curled up away from the others before falling asleep.

- _LDR- I realize that I am making Boromir a bit of a jerk (ok, maybe more than a bit) and I apologize for that to any readers who like him, but this is my fanfic and I will write it my way. Though I promise he will get nicer to Esmeralda. The song in this chapter is called Caravanserai and it's by one of my favorite singers, Loreena McKennitt. That's all for now. Please review and I hope you're liking my story so far!_


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